Defense of Damerey
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: Let the record show that I despise Damerey. The meet-cute scene at the end of the Last Jedi kept me on edge for two years. I was comforted by the fact that it was Collin Trevorrow's idea before he got fired. Having read info on Trevorrow's Episode IX script, Duel of the Fates, I wrote this. After TROS. Poe and Rey are pining for lost loves. Can they find comfort for one night?
1. Chapter 1: Bounty Hunter's Jilted Lover

**Chapter 1: Bounty Hunter's Jilted Lover**

Spying Zorri Bliss, still masked, across the clearing, Poe Dameron gave a tiny jerk of his head, silently asking if she wanted to go find some secluded clearing and join in the celebratory bandwagon - which mostly consisted of couples reuniting and kissing and basking in the relief of being alive after the Battle of Exogol.

There was a small pause, until finally the masked bounty hunter nodded her head. Though he couldn't see her face, the slow and slight bobble of her head told Poe that she was accepting, though warily.

Poe and Zorri circled the ring of celebrants until they met. Taking her hand, Poe led her into a more secluded clearing of grounded X-Wings so they could be alone. He was encouraged by how Zorri didn't throw his hand away.

Turning to her, he caught her visor coming down, revealing her sparkling eyes.

"What you did back there..." Poe murmured. "I... I can't thank you enough."

Zorri shrugged. "That's what friends are for, right?" Poe's heart clenched at how she used the word friends. Hoping he wasn't reading too much into it, he pressed on.

"Can you please take off your mask? It's been so long since I have seen your face."

Another pause. But finally, Zorri slowly unstrapped her mask with a metallic click. Even more cautiously, she raised it over her head, to reveal her face.

Zorri Bliss was a remarkably beautiful woman. She had a heart-shaped face, flowing brown hair and piercing blue eyes. From the moment he had met her, many years ago, Poe had felt more for her than the many women he had encounters with. He had started out on her crew of spice runners. Zorri had at first rebuffed his advances - back then, his flirting had been rather clumsy - but he had eventually charmed her. After saving her life during a job gone deadly, she had kissed him. Her kisses were addicting, and the subsequent sex had been volcanic.

Then Poe had abruptly answered Leia Organa's call to arms to join up with the Resistance. Zorri had been deeply hurt by his decision, and the pair had rarely spoken since. Finally seeing each other for the first time in years on Kijimi, Poe still felt Zorri's caustic words of resentment and their sting as sharply as a blaster bolt.

Zorri was now peering at him warily. The hurt and mistrust was still there on her face. Poe gazed at her, nearly vibrating with shame - a rare feeling, for him.

"You came to my aid after I deeply hurt you. I don't know what to say except I don't deserve your compassion, and for how I wronged you, I'm sorry."

Zorri nodded slowly. Poe grinned, hopeful.

"Can I kiss you?"

He waited for her to laugh and push him away, as she had on Kijimi, but she didn't. Instead, Zorri visibly gulped. "I..."

Grin broadening, Poe bent and captured her lips with his. He felt Zorri purr into the kiss for just the briefest instant, but then she twisted her face away, her eyes sad. "Don't." Her voice was a whisper.

Poe drew back, shattered. "I'm sorry. I should have waited..."

"Poe," Zorri cut across him abruptly. "You've said you're sorry, and I hear it. But that doesn't mean I can accept it. Not yet. We can't just call a truce and seal it with a kiss. You really, really hurt me. And if you are serious about wanting to be with me... then you have to give us both time to be away from each other."

Poe gazed at her, heartbroken. Still, he attempted to take her rebuff like a man. "If those are your wishes..."

Zorri nodded, her expression still forlorn but resolved. "Those are my wishes." Before she could stop herself, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips along Poe's cheek. "Avant-gone, darling," she murmured.

And she left him in that clearing, staring after her.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Lost Souls Rebound

**Chapter 2: Two Lost Souls Rebound**

Well, someone must have seen Poe and Zorri kissing, then separating, because by the time Co-General Dameron arrived at the celebratory bonfire that night, the entire Resistance camp was abuzz. Poe sat by himself, too tired from the final fighting just that morning and too stung by Zorri's rejection to talk with anybody. Spying Finn and that stormtrooper girl Jannah sitting together, he couldn't help but look on with a twinge of envy.

On the other side of the flames, Rey Palpatine was also watching Finn chat up the Jannah girl with sad envy. She recalled watching her best friend tend to Rose in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Crait, tormented by similar feelings.

In that moment, a year ago, she had thought her own object of her affections had been lost to her forever. Now, that feeling of loss was all too permanent. Glancing down at the plate of food she refused to eat, a single tear slid down her cheek. Her lips still tingled from the wonderful warmth of Ben's lips on hers. The memory of his kiss would haunt her forever... Now she and her dark prince would never be together.

Glancing up at the sound of footfalls, she spotted Poe Dameron coming her way, a look of concern on his face. Perhaps he had noticed her crestfallen expression. Rey turned into herself, hugging her own slight frame. She and Poe had never gotten on the best, even if she had silently admitted soon after they met that she thought he was cute. In the past year, however, their strong wills had collided. Often they butted heads while Finn tried helplessly to make the best peace. She recalled how Poe had shouted at her for knocking a tree onto BB8, only just yesterday. Had that really been only yesterday? Before she discovered she was a dark-side princess, then rescued the man whom the Force had deemed to be her soulmate? Thinking of Ben's handsome face, the glorious smile he had graced her with, the tears wriggled free again. _Why did you have to leave me? Why did you sacrifice yourself? It took me so long to find you..._ Rey wiped at her glistening eyes furiously. She most definitely did not want Poe Dameron to see her cry.

The pilot was gazing down at her with concerned sympathy. "Did something happen, Rey?"

She couldn't look at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, that's kriffing too bad, Jedi. We're talking about it." He lowered himself next to her on the log. "People aren't usually meant to hide their feelings, kid. It does things to them."

Rey side-eyed him skittishly, warily. Could she really open up to him? After all the sniping each of them had done, maybe it was fair enough to try. With how bravely he fought, she supposed she owed him that.

"I lost someone I deeply care about today."

Poe nodded sympathetically, barking out a laugh bitterly. "Join the club. We've got jackets."

"No, you don't understand - I lost the person I loved!" The tears once again pricked at her eyes and she fought to tamp them down. Her voice cracked on the heaviest word - _loved_ \- and she cast her eyes down into her lap. She could still feel Poe's eyes on her, strangely soothing.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "You were really, deeply in love with him."

Rey whimpered and nodded, pursing her mouth tightly. "He was my soulmate. My sweetheart."

Poe smiled kindly. "I didn't know you had a sweetheart."

_No one did_, Rey thought. _If you knew the whole story..._ She shuddered at the thought of it. If Poe really did know the whole story, would he be listening as understandingly as he was now? "If you don't know by now, I can be fairly discreet." She chanced a glance at him, smiled weakly.

Poe laughed. "That, I can believe." Wordlessly, he rubbed her arm. "It's OK. I've lost someone I love too."

"I heard," Rey grinned, in spite of herself. She had to resist the urge to snort, so as not to come off as insensitive. "The whole camp's talking about it. I didn't join in, though. I'm not a gossip." She willed herself to look at him fully. "Still, you're lucky. You're just a jilted lover. I'm... a widow." The word had taken a meandering path to fall on her lips, but once it did, Rey felt surer about it than anything else in her life.

Poe cocked an eyebrow. "That's a strong word to use. So you were married?"

Rey shook her head sharply, like she was trying to dislodge a fly. "In my heart only," she whispered.

Poe dipped his head in deference. "My condolences." A slight silence and then he observed. "If you don't mind me saying, you're a little young to be married."

Rey shrugged. "I'm only 20. Girls I knew on Jakku married younger." The thought only just dawning - and it made her laugh that in a year of albeit strained friendship, she had never asked his age - she asked, "How old are you?"

"I'll be 34 in a few stranded months."

She blinked in surprise. "34, really? Well... you look a lot younger."

Poe grinned bashfully. "Thank you." Again, the pair was lulled into silence. At last, the pilot spoke: "What was your sweetheart's name?"

Rey glanced to him solemnly. "Ben."

"Ben." Poe tried it out on his tongue. "It's a fine name." Smirking, he nudged her shoulder. "Did he ever give you a kiss?"

Rey gulped, fighting to catch the sob. Glancing into her lap, she whispered, "Yes. Once..."

"Ever made love with him?"

Turning fuchsia, Rey shook her head. "I don't think that's any of your business..." she mumbled.

To his credit, Poe held up his hands, surrendering. "No, you're right. I didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry... Want a drink?"

Rey giggled quietly. "I think we're probably all out of whiskey..."

"Except for this bottle right here!" Poe pulled from the lining of his flight suit with a smirk.

Growing up on Jakku, Rey could never afford whiskey. And even if she could have, she had never been the type of girl to drink her troubles away. But after being eternally separated from the love of her life... yeah, Rey knew she could use a stiff drink in a moment like this.

The pilot and Jedi took turns, passing the bottle back and forth. Rey took a long pull, passed it to Poe, then granted herself another slug when he dealt it back. Pretty soon, her head was buzzing. She felt lightheaded and strangely giddy.

"That's enough for me," she slurred, resting her head on Poe's shoulder sleepily. He put his arm around her, stroking her back, as she watched the dancing of the firelight.

"For what it's worth," Rey warbled out. "I'm sorry that you got turned down by Zorri. I think she was an idiot."

Poe's laughter rumbled, as he continued to stroke her hair. "Well, she had her reasons... but thank you."

Lifting her head off his shoulder, Rey glanced up to look into the pilot's eyes. Despite the softness in his gaze, the lingering hurt in his eyes matched her own. She could deeply identify with such sadness, for now she knew and understood grief.

Feeling the warmth of Poe's hand upon her cheek, Rey's lashes fluttered as her eyes grew heavy. His wavy dark hair, the hard, cocksure glint in his eye... if her vision even swam just the tiniest bit, unfocused, she could almost imagine that he was...

Leaning in as one, Poe and Rey's lips met. Closing her eyelids, Rey smiled against Poe's mouth happily, eagerly. His one paw of a hand fell into her hair, and she breathed out a sigh, the sound allowing her lips to part so that Poe's tongue swam into her mouth.

And yet, even as Poe kissed her, and Rey passionately kissed him back, she found herself thinking sadly, guiltily, _I'm betraying Ben... I don't want to hurt Ben..._

Poe and Rey broke the kiss at last. Poe's eyes had darkened, overcome with lust. Rey potently flushed, her heart palpitating erratically.

"Come with me," Poe murmured low. And taking both her hands, he helped her to her feet. Eyes steeled with purpose, he guided Rey so that they stole quietly out of the clearing, heading back in the direction of the _Falcon_. Every few feet, the pair would stop to steal a kiss, Poe cradling Rey's cheeks and tilting her head back. She moaned greedily, following after him up the gangplank.

Stumbling a bit from the drink, Rey felt Poe's arms glide around her as he caught her. His lips descended on hers fiercely. Looping her arms about his neck, she returned the kiss. "Hmmmm..."

Poe's touch was fire, his hands running along her arms and down her lower back. He didn't touch her liberally, keeping his fingers where he should, which Rey appreciated. Besides... he was doing wonders enough with his lips. No question about it: Poe Dameron was a damn fine kisser. Of course, in terms of kissing, her Ben would always take first place... but the handsome pilot was a close second.

Rey felt Poe nudge her hooded white tunic off her shoulders and it fell away. Her wits about her just enough despite the drink, she twisted out of the kiss sharply, eyes wide.

"What... what are you doing?"

To his credit, and despite his inebriation and horniness, Poe paused like a gentleman. "Do... do you not want to?"

Biting her swollen lip, Rey hesitated. If things were different, if she had gotten a happy ending, she would have wanted her first time to be with Ben, and only Ben. But Ben was gone, and this just as handsome man was in his place. Wanting to love her. Someone wanted to _love_ her. Slowly, bravely, she nodded her head.

Poe beamed at her, then cupping her cheeks, he was kissing her again, one arm sliding around to encircle her waist. Rey melted into the kiss immediately, until another thought made her pull back.

"Finn!" she cried at the thought of her dearest friend. _Their_ dearest friend. "Finn will _never_ forgive us if we...Mmmm..." Poe silenced her with yet another kiss.

"He doesn't have to know," he murmured into her lips.

The Jedi slowly nodded her head. And just as slowly, the straps to her bra band came undone.

Rey flushed scarlet and tried to hide her bare breasts, but Poe shook his head.

"Don't," his voice was a raw hiss. "You're beautiful." Rey's face grew even more hot. This time, when Poe kissed her, she felt and let his hands wander lower, cup and squeeze her buttocks. She raised her leg high to his waist, trying to communicate her desires so that he knew exactly what she wanted. Even if she had no idea what she was doing. In his soft embrace, Rey recalled how he had caught and held her gently when she had sunk through the quicksands on Pasaana.

Frantically tugging on his own pants, Poe and Rey continued to undress as they backed up towards the captain's quarters and its single bed, still desperately kissing. Poe gently lowered Rey back onto the mattress.

Letting out a sigh, Rey spread her legs, allowing Poe to nestle in between them. He shifted a little bit awkwardly, and she further opened her knees.

Pausing in their kissing, the pilot and the Jedi gazed at each other. Rey's tiny breasts were heaving, the rosy nipples pebbling, her breathing become labored and ragged as she forced it out in rough gasps. She felt Poe's hands gliding up her thighs and she squirmed happily. She felt very hot, except for the dampness pooling between her legs.

Locking eyes, Poe slowly pushed his member into Rey's femininity. Tears pricked at her eyes as her core muscles clenched tight around him, stretched to accommodate him, and Poe kissed her deeply though the pain. Carefully, Poe began to thrust into the beautiful young woman, in and out, in and out.

Rey let her head fall back into the pillow with a sigh at his attentions, face relaxing into something limp and her eyes contentedly shut as Poe kissed her face. Craning her neck, Rey returned the favor by kissing every bit of exposed skin she could reach, eventually coming to rest at suckling the pulse point on his neck. She gave the skin a tentative lick, and felt Poe hiss. He thrust faster, causing the bed to creak and Rey to moan loudly.

"Uhhh... Huhhh... Ahhhh... Ohhhh... Oh... Oh, my... Ohhhhhh my... Oh, my goodness... Yes, more please..." Her legs quivered like tiny pistons, scrabbling for purchase along the increasingly sweaty mattress.

Poe grunted through another thrust, gripping the bedframe and nearby nightstand for purchase. Rey continued to writhe under him.

"Oh," (she had tried to say the name of her partner, but couldn't get her mouth to form the "P"), "I'm... I'm going to... Oh, _fuck_!" Rey arched her back, and then with a giant cry:

"BEN!" Her hands fisted the bedsheets, her thighs quaked, her toes curled, and she sent a love bite into Poe's neck so hard, she was positive she accidentally drew blood. Poe just let out a manly grunt and pounded into Rey. With each and every thrust, he was slowing, tiring. Another vicious slam, two, and then a weak third one that caused him to collapse on top of Rey as he ejaculated deep inside her.

The pair held each other for a long time in post-coital bliss, Rey's head empty and dazed. She had just made love with her commanding officer. Well, she certainly never saw this day coming.

Against her, Rey felt Poe's head shift as he moved to softly kiss her breasts. She wriggled delightedly, snuggling closer so as to tuck her head on his chest. With Poe holding her gently like that, she drifted into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Faithfulness, Fidelity

**Chapter 3: Faithfulness, Fidelity**

When Rey stirred awake, the moon was high in the sky, glancing its beams into the porthole window to strewn across the bed. Turning her head at the sound of slow, even breathing, she was surprised to find a naked, manly form dozing beside her. There was a steady rise and fall to his chest. His face was utterly relaxed and at peace, and in the dim, gray blue haze, the last and bleary vestiges of sleep, Rey dared to hope... had it all been a nightmare, on Exogol? Some horrible dream? Peering closer, she dared to ask... Was it really...?

No. Her bedfellow may have had the same curly black hair, and a sinfully handsome face. But it wasn't _his_ face. The face of her beloved Ben.

The memories of the previous night came rushing back. How she had kissed Poe and agreed to sleep with him. Shrinking away, Rey clambered out of bed, body now afire with shame. Finding a bathrobe in the closet, she donned it and stole out of the bedroom, out of the ship and into the Ajan Klossian night.

After a brief run into the jungle trees, Rey allowed herself to fall to her knees. Tears streamed down her face. What had she done, in kissing Poe and sleeping with him? True, she had been a little drunk, but not drunk enough to withhold her consent. And yes, she had enjoyed the sex for what it was. But not even enjoyable lovemaking could fill the aching pain in her heart.

Another horrid thought struck her, and she gasped, blanching. She and Poe had forgotten to use protection. Rey just then folded her hands in prayer, still on her knees, and desperately wished that she did not become pregnant with Poe's baby. If she was ever to fall pregnant, let the baby only have deep blue eyes and wavy black locks on top of its head... Let any baby she had be Ben's...

She felt the Force's sympathy, and its assurance that she would not become great with child, if that life was Poe's baby.

Suddenly, a voice rang clear as day in the moonlit clearing.

"My love, I never took you to be religious."

Rey gasped and stumbled to her feet, spinning around in shock. For shimmering in a bluish glow, there he stood. Had she died? Was this heaven? Was she hallucinating? Had it really come to that?

Letting out a sob, Rey ran to him. Throwing her arms about his neck, she collapsed in sobs of both anguish and strange relief, as she reached up to kiss his lips and kiss his face. "Mmmm... Hmmm... Oh, God... Ben..." She whimpered plaintively as, despite his translucent state, he moved to kiss her back.

After many minutes of openly kissing, Rey fell to her knees before Ben. Clutching his robes in her fist, she wept bitterly, feeling the sharp pang of remorse.

"I have been unfaithful to you, my husband! Can you ever forgive me?"

Ben just smiled down at her lovingly, if also sadly. "Of course I can, my sweet precious. How can you be unfaithful to a man now dead?"

Rey let out another anguished sob at the word _dead_. Shakily getting up off her knees, she nuzzled her face into his neck. She shivered in delight as she felt Ben kiss her hair.

"He was kind to me," she tried to explain herself. "He's pining for someone else too, and we..."

Ben just held her chin. Kissed her lips. And though his eyes were filled with longing and pain, he had the courage to say: "Poe Dameron seems like a decent fellow. Rey, my wife, my darling, find some other man, and love him as you loved me. Forget about me."

Stricken, her hazel orbs twinkling in the starlight, Rey shook her head. "No," she whimpered. Breathing deeply, she clutched Ben's tunic in her fists, "I, Rey Palpatine of Jakku, promise to love and cherish you, and only you. From now on, I promise to remain faithful to you, and only you. I will never love again, not for the rest of my days, until we are reunited in the Force."

Ben just stared down at her adoringly. "If that is what you wish."

Caressing his face, Rey reached up to softly kiss him. "That's what I wish."

* * *

The next morning, Rey talked with Poe privately. Holding his hand, expressing her regret, she communicated how she thought it was best that they not see each other again and just remain friends.

"I was really that bad?" Poe sadly winced, though he understood.

"N... No, you were fine, really," Rey smiled weakly. "It's just that... I can't be very fair to you if I climaxed while screaming the name Ben." She flushed scarlet at her newfound candidness when talking about sex. "I'm sorry about that..."

"Don't be," Poe said gently. He sighed. "I think you and I... we were both lonely. We found comfort in each other, and comfort is what we wanted... but it's not what we needed. We each have... someone else who we need."

"You're right. Poe... you're the guy I want to want. But... Ben is the one who I will always need, even though he is gone." Rey beamed apologetically, pecking his cheek. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered. Then, she nudged his shoulder playfully. "Now, get up off your ass, Dameron, and go win your woman back!"

"If Zorri will even have me..." Poe mumbled.

Rey grinned encouragingly. "Say everything right, and she will."

Poe got to his feet. Then he glanced back, his expression pained. "I may be able to still have mine... but you'll always be pining for your true love. I can't leave you here."

Rey beamed at his sympathy. "Yes, you can. I'm a big girl; I'll be fine." She smiled at him weakly, but Poe wouldn't move. Sighing, Rey stood and waved her hand in front of his face. "You will leave to see Zorri now."

"No, I can't," Poe refused gallantly.

Rey tried again. "You will leave to see Zorri now."

"No, I can't," Poe repeated.

Huffing out a frustrated breath, Rey mashed Poe's face in her hands, pushed her lips fiercely against his and kissed him. Poe quickly relaxed into the kiss, and allowing him to savor it for just a moment, Rey pushed him away.

"Go!" she laughed.

At last, Poe left. Watching his X-Wing take off into the sky, Rey blew him a kiss goodbye. Then, smiling in peace at her decision, she walked away.

* * *

Owning up to Ben about her infidelity, Rey had decided that there was one person with whom she also had to come clean. Taking Finn aside that same morning when he asked her where she had been, Rey spat it out.

"Poe and I spent the night together. He slept with me."

Finn stilled, his face going white with anger, the shade clashing horribly with his dark skin and hair. "You guys did _what_?!"

Rey winced sheepishly. "It was a one-time thing. We were both lonely and sad. Poe's gone back to his ex-girlfriend now..." Her expression trailed off when she studied the look in Finn's eyes. She gawked at him, and even let out a little, disbelieving laugh.

"You're _jealous_!"

Finn flinched sharply, eyes wide. "No, I'm not."

Rey grinned broadly. "Yes, you are," she teased, following after him as Finn disappeared into the trees. "Now the only question is are you jealous of Poe, or are you jealous of me...?"

"Both," Finn blurted. Gawking again in astonishment, Rey threw back her head and laughed.

"I knew it!"


End file.
